The Great Reset: Communicating through the next industrial revolution and whole society change.
If Strategic Comms isn't shoulder to shoulder with the c-suite ALREADY on this, then you are behind.
We are on the edge of a profound society wide reset which is going to impact shape, size and meaning of organisations.
AI and automation aren’t coming — they’ve arrived. The decisions about how, where, and why to implement them are being made right now, often behind closed doors, with little scrutiny beyond technical capability and cost savings.
And the truth is this: most C-suites will welcome what comes next. Leaner teams, streamlined operations, more productivity, fewer blockers, change as a means to stability. That’s the pitch.
But given the other side of the coin — extreme job implications, fundamental shifts in ways of working, redundancies, and multi-layered always-on change — it’s going to be deeply disruptive and challenging for the people in your organisation during transition.
Underneath the surface, something more complex is building. And it’s not just a technical issue. It’s not an just HR issue. It’s not a “future of work” issue.
It’s a communication issue. A systemic, human, deeply strategic issue that will determine whether your organisation moves through this change with trust and traction, or chaos and confusion.
AI and automation aren’t coming — they’ve arrived. The decisions about how, where, and why to implement them are being made right now, often behind closed doors, with little scrutiny beyond technical capability and cost savings.
And the truth is this: most C-suites will welcome what comes next. Leaner teams, streamlined operations, more productivity, fewer blockers, change as a means to stability. That’s the pitch.
But given the other side of the coin — extreme job implications, fundamental shifts in ways of working, redundancies, and multi-layered always-on change — it’s going to be deeply disruptive and challenging for the people in your organisation during transition.
Underneath the surface, something more complex is building. And it’s not just a technical issue. It’s not an just HR issue. It’s not a “future of work” issue.
It’s a communication issue. A systemic, human, deeply strategic issue that will determine whether your organisation moves through this change with trust and traction, or chaos and confusion.
What's coming isn't just change - it's complete organisational reshaping
This isn’t about automating a few repetitive tasks.
We’re talking about a complete reshaping and right-shaping of how organisations are structured and how people experience work.
Here’s what’s already unfolding:
And here’s the kicker: it’s going to happen both slowly and suddenly, in unpredictable and uneven ways.
There will be weeks where everything seems still, then months of transformation packed into a single quarter.
We’re talking about a complete reshaping and right-shaping of how organisations are structured and how people experience work.
Here’s what’s already unfolding:
- Jobs will be automated — meaning roles will disappear, tasks will shift, and many people will be made redundant.
- Entire departments will be restructured or dissolved — not gradually, but in sharp waves.
- New roles will emerge — including the rise of human-AI collaboration and digital colleagues.
- Power dynamics will shift — leaders will lose influence they didn’t realise they were holding, and new centres of authority will quietly form around data, design, and tech.
- The “new hybrid” will appear — forget the home-or-office hybrid. The new reality will involve working with AI assistants and co-working with autonomous agents as part of hybrid human–AI teams.
And here’s the kicker: it’s going to happen both slowly and suddenly, in unpredictable and uneven ways.
There will be weeks where everything seems still, then months of transformation packed into a single quarter.
This can't just be managed on the hoof. It has to be communicated with emotion, trust, impact and a strong strong story.
You can’t spreadsheet your way through this.
But none of that will matter if your people don’t understand — or trust — what’s happening.
And that’s where communication comes in. Not messaging. Not change packs. Not internal decks.
Real, human-led, strategic communication.
- Yes, you’ll need strong governance.
- Yes, you’ll need a transformation roadmap.
- Yes, you’ll need ethical frameworks and smart procurement.
But none of that will matter if your people don’t understand — or trust — what’s happening.
And that’s where communication comes in. Not messaging. Not change packs. Not internal decks.
Real, human-led, strategic communication.
Most C-Suites will underestimate or mistime this moment
They will:
They will treat communication as a roll-out task, not a core part of the system.
And when the backlash comes — when trust is low, belief is fractured, and the internal noise drowns out the signal — they’ll blame “change fatigue” or “resistance.” But what’s actually happening is much simpler:
They failed to build a communication system strong enough to hold the change.
- Launch pilot programmes without aligning the message for the overall future they seek
- Roll out early, small scale redundancies without preparing the longer term narrative
- Add “AI” to job descriptions before anyone has thought about culture, clarity or usage policies...or long term implications.
- Drop decisions from the top without preparing managers to translate them locally and on an emotional, personal level.
They will treat communication as a roll-out task, not a core part of the system.
And when the backlash comes — when trust is low, belief is fractured, and the internal noise drowns out the signal — they’ll blame “change fatigue” or “resistance.” But what’s actually happening is much simpler:
They failed to build a communication system strong enough to hold the change.
Communications is a System and it makes the change make sense
Strategic communication isn’t the thing you do after the strategy is set. It’s the infrastructure that makes the strategy possible.
It’s what helps you shape your story, align your leaders and departments around a clear vision or future state, and communicate the orders as you move forward.
If you haven’t positioned your comms function to play this role, you will hit barriers you don’t see coming.
The organisations that navigate this well will do six things differently:
It’s what helps you shape your story, align your leaders and departments around a clear vision or future state, and communicate the orders as you move forward.
If you haven’t positioned your comms function to play this role, you will hit barriers you don’t see coming.
The organisations that navigate this well will do six things differently:
01. |
Involve communications early |
Strategic comms leaders should be in the room from day one of transformation planning. Not just to “write the narrative,” but to challenge assumptions, spot cultural friction, and ensure the human impact is designed in from the start.
02. |
Treat comms as a strategic partner, not the message sender |
Comms isn’t just about sending messages. It’s about mapping meaning. It includes the flow of information, leadership signals, manager narratives, and everyday conversations that shape belief.
You don’t just need decks. You need systems.
You don’t just need decks. You need systems.
03. |
Let comms map the alignment pathway and backstitch as they go |
The transformation won’t be linear. Leaders need to work alongside strategic communicators to build alignment early, then continually reinforce it as the organisation adapts.
That means not just telling a clear story, but checking for coherence and consistency at every layer.
Crucially, this also requires designing change with staff — not doing it to them. The comms team must help shape the operating environment where people feel informed, engaged, and involved.
That means not just telling a clear story, but checking for coherence and consistency at every layer.
Crucially, this also requires designing change with staff — not doing it to them. The comms team must help shape the operating environment where people feel informed, engaged, and involved.
04. |
Prepare the middle managers |
Middle managers will be the shock absorbers of this change.
They’ll face questions they can’t answer, carry pressure they didn’t create, and be asked to “explain” decisions they weren’t involved in.
Without training, tools, and narrative clarity, they’ll ad-lib, distort, or go quiet.
And that’s how trust collapses.
They’ll face questions they can’t answer, carry pressure they didn’t create, and be asked to “explain” decisions they weren’t involved in.
Without training, tools, and narrative clarity, they’ll ad-lib, distort, or go quiet.
And that’s how trust collapses.
05. |
They build a narrative that can evolve |
One launch deck won’t cut it. You need a living, breathing narrative architecture that can shift as the transformation unfolds.
This includes:
This includes:
- A vision
- The points on the way to that vision (if known)
- A strong central story (the “why”)
- Consistent signal from senior leadership (even if the sound changes as circumstances do)
- Clear rhythms for updates, feedback, and course-correction
- Space for local adaptation — without message fragmentation
06. |
Comms is the strategic core, not an add on. |
If your comms function is still in delivery mode — reacting to requests, polishing announcements, writing “on behalf of” people who contradict them — you’re not ready for what’s coming.
You need strategic communicators who can:
And they need access. Proximity. Authority. Time.
You need strategic communicators who can:
- Hold truth to power
- Push back on mixed messaging
- Shape the internal experience of change
- Act as both narrative designers and bullshit detectors
And they need access. Proximity. Authority. Time.
Are you ready for what's coming?
Ask yourself:
- Does our comms function sit at the heart of transformation, or at the edge?
- Can our leaders clearly and consistently articulate the message?
- Are our managers equipped to lead communication, or just repeat it?
- Do we know how information, trust, and belief move through our organisation, or do we just guess?
- If we had to announce a major restructure next month, would we know how to narrate it well?
Start now. Not when you've procured multi-AI tools.
You can’t retro-fit strategic communication once the transformation is underway.
By then, the trust damage is already done. The story is already being told — by someone else.
You need to build your internal communication system before the shift.
You need to map, design, and pressure-test the operating environment now.
And most of all, you need a strategic comms function that’s ready for what’s coming.
By then, the trust damage is already done. The story is already being told — by someone else.
You need to build your internal communication system before the shift.
You need to map, design, and pressure-test the operating environment now.
And most of all, you need a strategic comms function that’s ready for what’s coming.
Start point
If you’re a senior leader preparing for this level of organisational change — whether it's AI implementation, restructure, or culture reset — here’s what to do next:
Get a pragmatic and independent partner (Hello! 🙋♀️) to help you...
✅ Review how communication actually works across your organisation
✅ Elevate your comms team and give them proximity to decision-making
✅ Assess your operating model — roles, rhythms, feedback loops
✅ Audit leadership signal and frontline clarity
✅ Build or refine your internal narrative architecture
✅ Start building the trust capacity now — before you need it
Get a pragmatic and independent partner (Hello! 🙋♀️) to help you...
✅ Review how communication actually works across your organisation
✅ Elevate your comms team and give them proximity to decision-making
✅ Assess your operating model — roles, rhythms, feedback loops
✅ Audit leadership signal and frontline clarity
✅ Build or refine your internal narrative architecture
✅ Start building the trust capacity now — before you need it
And if you need help - I'm here.
I help organisations:
If you’re serious about managing the next era well — let’s talk.
👉 [Contact me here] or drop me a message directly on Linkedin
- Reposition comms as a strategic capability
- Diagnose, align and fix communication systems
- Equip leaders and managers to communicate with clarity
- Build resilient narratives that move with change
- Get ready for the coming change - in house or as a consultant
If you’re serious about managing the next era well — let’s talk.
👉 [Contact me here] or drop me a message directly on Linkedin